Canada will formally recognise a Palestinian state in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced, becoming the third G7 nation in recent days to signal a shift in stance amid mounting pressure and international outrage over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Carney said the recognition would depend on democratic reforms within the Palestinian Authority, including the holding of national elections next year without the involvement of Hamas. He stressed that Canada’s longstanding commitment to a two-state solution had become untenable in the face of increasing violence, political deadlock, and worsening conditions on the ground.
“The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable and rapidly deteriorating,” Carney told reporters on Wednesday. “The prospect of a Palestinian state is being eroded before our eyes.”
Canada’s announcement follows similar declarations by the United Kingdom and France. On Tuesday, the UK stated it would recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agreed to a ceasefire and other conditions. France had unveiled a similar plan just a week prior.
Carney confirmed that Canada would move to formal recognition of Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly. He cited several contributing factors: the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas.
Carney discloses reaching out to Palestinian authority
While maintaining that any future Palestinian state must be demilitarised and governed under reformed democratic institutions, Carney said he had already spoken to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas about the planned recognition.
The Palestinian Authority, dominated by the Fatah party, controls parts of the West Bank, while Hamas holds power in the Gaza Strip. Neither territory has held democratic elections since 2006.
Israel swiftly condemned Canada’s move. Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs labelled the plan “a reward for Hamas” and accused Ottawa of undermining ceasefire negotiations and efforts to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.
Canada’s opposition Conservatives also criticised the prime minister’s decision. “Recognising a Palestinian state in the aftermath of the October 7 terrorist atrocities sends the wrong message to the world,” the party said in a statement.
The prime minister has been facing mounting domestic and international pressure to act. Nearly 200 former Canadian ambassadors and diplomats signed a letter on Tuesday urging the government to recognise Palestinian statehood. The letter stated that Canadian principles “are being abandoned daily with the massive displacement, indiscriminate bombardment and starvation of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the violent attacks by extremist settlers in the West Bank.”
Asked whether Canada’s move was influenced by recent decisions by the UK and France or involved consultations with US President Donald Trump, Carney insisted that Canada acts independently on foreign policy matters.
If the UK and France go ahead with formal recognition, the United States, Israel’s strongest ally, will be the only permanent member of the UN Security Council yet to do so.
Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza following the 7 October Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. Since then, more than 60,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The ministry also reports that 154 people, including 89 children, have died from malnutrition.
